Saturday, February 27, 2016

Bundeswehr M41 finished

Ready for inspection my 60's M41 for Bundeswehr project. These are the battlefront models. Not bad but the only ones I could get. The paint is from Life Colors US Army Olive Drab set. The number is 222 on the paint bottle. It is according to the instructions on the box for 50's and later. Not being an expert in OD these looks right to the pictures I found on line.

This is going to be my recon company. From what I ready there are three M41's in the company with approximately 20 Schützenpanzer SPz 11-2 Kurz. If anyone has a better source please add it the comments
Now for pictures.

I know I need to make a photo booth, These are the best I can do right. Hopefully the items I ordered from QRF will here soon.

3 comments:

American recon units would have 3 x M41s, and later, M48s in them, before they moved on to 3x, and later 6x M551s in their cavalry "platoons" (which also included 5 x M113s and 1 x M106 mortar vehicle).

In the older West German TO&Es that would be appropriate for this vehicle, there was one light tank platoon with M41s, that contained a unit of 5 tanks. The HS-30/Spz companies contained 16 of those IFVs, with three platoons of 5 vehicles, plus one HQ vehicle (later, they switched to Marders, with the same number of vehicles per platoon/company). There would be three companies of IFVs in the unit, as well as a platoon of 6 x Mortar vehicles too, for support.

Tank companies during this period consisted of 17 tanks, with 3 x platoons of 5 vehicles, and an HQ with two tanks, instead of just the one in the IFV/APC companies.

Actually, I went back and looked at this again, since I'm interested in creating some M41 and other early BW units, and it appears we're both right. My source is the Table Top Games "Modern Army Lists for the 1950s and 1960s". The West German Div. Recon List for 1968 provides some compulsory vehicles for the BattleGroup HQ, which consists of 2 x Spz 22-2 (Beob/Recon variant of the Spz 11-2), and one RK-1, which presumably is the Beob version of the Jagdpanzer Kanone - no gun, as well as 2 x Spz 11-2 in a recce section.

Then, there are up to 3 x Recce Groups, of 10 vehicle each, consisting of 1 x GHQ with 1 x Spz 22-2, 6 x Spz 11-2 (in 3 sections of 2), and one section of 3 x tanks (presumably M41s). Up to three of these may be chosen for a wargame, points-wise. M41 and Leopard tank options for the GHQs for these 3 x recce groups.

There are also up to 2 x Support groups of 14 vehicle, as follows: GHQ of 2 x Spz 22-2 (one designated a MOP, which I think stands for mobile observation post - could be the little Spz 91-2 which carries a mobile radar mast, but it doesn't say so definitively. I think it is likely though.), one section of 4 x Spz 22-2, one section of 5 x tanks (presumably M41s), and one section of 3 x Spz 51-2 mortar vehicles (81mm). M48A2C and Leopard 1 as options for the GHQ of the support groups.

As mentioned above, the list does provide points for Leopard 1 and M48A2C options too, as well as an M41 option for the GHQ of the 3 x Recce Groups. Leopards in the Recce and Support Group GHQs, and M48A2C only listed for the Support Group GHQ, so presumably at some point those may have been later TO&E options as well.

It's unclear, the way the list is written, if these were available for the entire unit, or just the GHQ, and/or Recce sections in some cases - they're listed to the right of those, and not next to the tank sections, which makes things a little confusing.

No tank types are listed for the tank sections, but I know the M41 was used for that, until later replaced by the Leopard 1s. Since the M48s are listed too, presumably they could have used those as well.

The Recce list also states that up to 1 x tank or mech. infantry company may be attached to the unit as well, so 17 x tanks, or 16 x IFVs (Spz 12-3). Also, one A/T platoon of either 4 x Jagdpanzer Raketes with SS-11, or Jagdpanzer Kanones. Finally, up to 2 x AOP in either Spz 22-2, RK-1, or Allouette helos.

No mention of the M47s, so presumably those may have been allocated to other units. I wouldn't be surprised to see them in this unit too, possible, before the M48s became available.

Best of luck on your scratch-building project.

I don't think I'd have the patience for that, so would just hit up QRF in the UK for some premade models. About $7 each currently, plus shipping.